The invention relates to a variable compression piston assembly, and to an engine that has double ended pistons connected to a universal joint for converting linear motion of the pistons to rotary motion.
Most piston driven engines have pistons that are attached to offset portions of a crankshaft such that as the pistons are moved in a reciprocal direction transverse to the axis of the crankshaft, the crankshaft will rotate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,709, defines an engine with a double ended piston that is attached to a crankshaft with an off set portion. A lever attached between the piston and the crankshaft is restrained in a fulcrum regulator to provide the rotating motion to the crankshaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,842, defines a four cylinder piston engine that utilizes two double ended pistons connected to a T-shaped T-shaped connecting member that causes a crankshaft to rotate. The T-shaped connecting member is attached at each of the T-cross arm to a double ended piston. A centrally located point on the T-cross arm is rotatably attached to a fixed point, and the bottom of the T is rotatably attached to a crank pin which is connected to the crankshaft by a crankthrow which includes a counter weight.
In each of the above examples, double ended pistons are used that drive a crankshaft that has an axis transverse to the axis of the pistons.